QuestionI just adopted a former show stallion. However, his condition is terrible! Once I got him home and started going through is mane I quickly discovered his neck is so thick. His mane had been cut and random places all the way down to the neck as if to roach it and thinned in other places. It had bugs in it and was not good. So in clipping it, I discovered he literally had "rolls" in his neck and I had to spread these "rolls" apart when clipping the remainder of his mane. (I would NEVER clip a mane down like this but saw little choice given the circumstances and need to thoroughly clean this little guy up for bugs, etc...) Anyway, I have never seen anything like this before but am only speculating that he may have foundered before? He is not overweight in any other part of his body. His hooves are in decent shape. I am totally clueless and this is odd to me. Perhaps, I am missing the obvious? I took photos and am happy to supply those as well. Have you seen this before or do you have anything to offer? Thank you.
AnswerHi Kristina-
Thanks for the question and what a mess, poor little guy. Fat rolls (sometimes called ridgey neck) are not uncommon on stallions. I've seen lots of them. Some show people use a neck sweat prior to showing to minimize them. In other horses it is usually a sign of obesity or some other condition. He may have foundered but I think you would probably be able to tell from his hooves. The neck is sometimes the last place they will lose weight and it's hard to get it off. A good diet and exercise should help. I am more concerned about the "bugs" as it sounds like lice and they are terribly contagious. I would probably treat that with a medicated product made for that. You may want to consult your vet. Hope this helps and best of luck, Toni
